If at first you don't succeed
by AllIAskIsATallShip
Summary: All the times James asks out Lily (or all the times Lily rejects James), thought it would be fun to explore, hope it's fun to read too! Please read, review and most importantly ENJOY! Lots of Love AllIAskIsATallShip. :)


**AN-****I decided to write a few off hand fics and this one is going to be about all the times James asked Lily out at school. Might post a few chapters, depends how many ideas I can come up with. Urgh, school again tomorrow, I will never get over the summer holidays. Thanks for reading!**

**First-time approach-2nd year**

James coughed loudly attempting vainly to attract the attention of a certain red-headed girl. Unfortunately, why was everything unfortunate for him, she was determinally carrying on her, probably dull, conversation with a certain Snivellus. Honestly, did she have to make this difficult, I mean what had he ever done to her? He was good-looking; second only to his best mate Sirius, he was not dumb; despite the lack of effort he put into his work, he was generally kind to her; if you called constantly being in her face gentlemanly and he was definitely not evil; unlike the greasy guy she was presently chatting absent-mindedly to. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward, prepared for anything but the worst...

"Dearest Lily flower" he loudly proclaimed, sweeping from behind his back a huge bunch of pale blue lilies "I wish to present you with these beautiful blooms in the hope that you will accept my offer to become my very lucky girlfriend."

Eyebrows raised Lily stared him down, her tone dripping sarcasm she replied "Oh yes James dearest, I would love to allow myself to be dragged around by a childish 'man' who bullies my best friend, hexes everyone he can just because and is too thick to see I hate him with every bone in my body." She rolled her eyes, a slight smirk on her pretty face. "Cos that makes perfect sense"

But James was not disheartened...poor guy

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**The off-hand approach-4th year**

"So Lily, how you doing today"

"What do you want Potter you insolent git"

"Lily i'm hurt" Feigns innocence "I just wondered if you would be interested in exploring this pleasant broom cupboard with me"

SLAP!

"JAMES POTTER, YOU DARE!" Turning her back she stormed away without a backward glance.

"Should have known not to follow Sirius' advice, bet he enjoyed that one" he mumbled. At that moment a shaggy-haired (well he did do a lot of shagging, what did you expect) man fell out of a side corridor dying with laughter (you know the feeling).

"SIRIUS!" bellowed James.

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**The too-scared-of-rejection-to-ask-myself approach-2nd year**

"Errm, Lily, can I ask you a question?" Timidly little Peter Petigrew approached the hunched form of James' crush.

"Of course, you just did" she smiled sweetly, often when Peter slipped behind the rest if the year Lily would help him out, "What did you want to ask me?"

"Well, you see, it's not really a question I want to personally ask, it's kind of a favour for a friend". Oh oh, she knew where this would going, it didn't take a genius to figure out.

"Oh yes" she replied testily. Poor Peter cowered under her stormy glare, it wasn't his fault, hadn't she ever heard of don't shoot the messenger.

"WillyougooutwithJames?" squeaked Pettigrew, already bracing himself for the stinging insults about to be thrown his way.

"No" She left it at that, thank goodness, he scurried away as quickly as possible for a boy of his build.

"Oh and Peter" his face visibly paled "You better hope James knows the phrase 'don't shoot the messenger', unfortunately I don't think he does"

She threw him a half-sympathetic smile and flounced away a grin on her face, already imagining James' reaction to her most recent refusal.

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**The note-passing approach-3rd year**

_Hey Lily_

**Can't you see I'm trying to take notes Potter, or has your head finally got so big it's actually obscuring your vision**

_Of course I can see you're taking notes, why do you think I'm passing you this :)_

**Ha, ha. What do you want, baring in mind I wouldn't do anything for you if my life depended on it.**

_You break my heart :(_

**I've made it my life's ambition**

_Really, that means I get to see you even after school's finished, sounds great_

**That is not what I meant Potter**

_I know that_

**You don't know anything, stop over estimating your abilities**

_Go out with me Evans_

**WHAT!**

**Does this conversation (thrusts note in face) tell you nothing**

_Nope,but I could tell you what I would like you to thrust in my face...if you're interested ;)_

Needless to say the professor's of Hogwarts were thoroughly entertained that night when Professor Flitwick came in clutching the note in his hand, tears of laughter falling from his crinkled eyes.

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**The bribe approach-3rd year**

"Hey Lils, I have a proposition"

"Sounds riveting"

"It is" he replied rather offended "it concerns you, everything that concerns you is riveting"

Lily gave him a death glare.

"You" he pointed at her chest "go out with me" he said pointing back at himself.

Lily quickly lengthened her strides in an attempt to put as much distance between herself and James as possible.

"No, Lily, wait! There's something in it for you as well"

"Oh well that makes it all okay then doesn't it" she looked disgusted.

"Look, you agree to go out with me and I promise to never again hex your friend Snivellus"

The mental daggers thrown his way would have made any sane person run away back to their mummy, reiterating the SANE part. James was in love with a girl who hated him with a passion, definitely not sane.

"Not on your life! You are bribing me to go out with you, what am I to you! A toy to trade with your ickle marauder friends?"

We'll just leave it at that shall we, yes, I think you would rather not experience the resulting scene.

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**AN-****Thanks for reading, I think I will have 2 other chapters after this. 1 similar to this and the 3****rd a list of all the times and places James asked her out written by some bored marauders (minus James). Please review and tell me what you think! :)**

**P.S Nearly committed bloody murder on this computer when the document crashed. Fortunately half the file was already saved but still, had me pressing save every other sentence after.**


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